


So You Want To Talk (Let's Talk)

by Sister_Grimm



Series: Fight Club [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Asexual Character, Fallout of Pining, M/M, Relationship Negotiation, communication is important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 19:59:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9623210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sister_Grimm/pseuds/Sister_Grimm
Summary: It is too much to ask Archie to mind his own business





	

His phone vibrates as he steps into the park, he pulls it out of his pocket. It's from Archie. 

_You up?_

He sighs and shoves his phone back into his pocket as he calls out, "Reggie!"

"Yo, Elvira."

"You think you're cute.", Jughead mutters dryly, pulling off his hoodie.

"Fuck you.", Reggie says with a smile.

"Wow, no.", Jughead snaps, rolling his eyes.

"Alright come at me, Jug."

"Fuck, I thought you'd never ask."

Being Archie's friend again is more exhausting than he likes to admit. He's never been so glad that Archie thinks with his dick. It means Betty and Veronica take most of Archie's attention.

He lands the first hit, sends Reggie spiralling back. Reggie may be well...built like a linebacker but Jughead is smaller and faster.

"Jughead!", someone yells. They freeze.

Shit. Shit. Shit. That's Archie's voice.

"What the fuck?", Reggie snaps as he turns to look in the direction of the voice.

Suddenly Archie is fucking there in between them, "Back the fuck off, Reggie."

"Archie.", Jughead snaps. 

He shoves Reggie back, "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Do you really need your boyfriend to rescue you?", Reggie snaps, eyes flickering over to Jughead. And if it didn't sound fucking insane, Jughead would think Reggie sounded hurt.

"No. He's leaving.", Jughead hisses, hoping desperately for once in Archie's life he will take a hint.

He doesn't. Of course he doesn't. Because they're friends now.

"Like hell. Walk away, Reggie.", Archie snaps, shoving Reggie back.

Reggie snorts, "Sure, don't want to interfere with weird kinky gay sex."

When Reggie is out of sight, Archie turns back to him, "My car isn't far from here."

"What the _fuck_ were you thinking?", he snaps as they try to navigate through the dark park.

"Was I supposed to let you get beat up?", Archie spits, voice shaking in anger.

"You were supposed to mind your own business!", Jughead hollers.

"Just get in the car... Please?", Archie asks.

Jughead sighs and yanks open the door, the light catching his face properly finally and he checks his reflection in the rear view mirror. He has drying blood by his nose and what looks like beginning of a bruise on his cheekbone. He slips into the passenger seat.

"Jug, look at me.", Archie whispers.

He glances up and Archie cups his cheek, his fingers brushing the blossoming bruise. Jughead flinches away, looking down and off to the side. 

"Jughead, what is going on?"

"Literally none of your business, ok?"

They drive to his house in silence.

***

Reggie is extra bitchy at school, crashes into him in the hall, the barbs fly fast and furious whenever they're in a room together, but Archie won't leave his side long enough for them to talk.

Long enough for Jughead to apologize, if he's honest with himself. But he hasn't been that in a long time.

***

They're sitting in his tree house, a few beers they've stolen from Jughead's dad in between them and his phone rings.

Archie raises an eyebrow. "Girl trouble?"

Jughead snorts and his beer almost goes up his nose.

"Ok. Boy trouble?"

"Sort of.", Jughead shrugs and he pulls Archie against him, tossing his arm loosely over his shoulder.

"I missed this.", Archie breathes, taking a sip of the beer and resting his head against Jughead's shoulder.

_I missed you_ , Jughead thinks. "Yeah, my life is boring if I'm not consumed by the drama of where you're sticking your dick.", he cracks with a crooked smirk.

"Hey, Jug..", Archie murmurs, "Are you a virgin?"

Jughead flinches so hard he almost spills his beer. Archie turns, looking at him with concern. "Jug?"

"Uh... technically?", he says finally.

"Technically?", Archie asks, with a knowing grin.

"I've uh, given a few blowjobs, handjobs but never...", he waves his hand awkwardly. Why are they having this conversation.

"Never?", Archie asks, waiting.

"Never gotten off with someone.", he says finally.

"Wait, who did you...?"

Why are they having this conversation.

Jughead sighs, his hat cushioning where his head is resting against the wall of the tree house.

"Jason. Uh... Reggie...once."

"What?", Archie snaps, head spinning in his direction. "Jughead, Reggie didn't.... Did he?"

He shakes his head, "No. I uh, offered. Just once. Weirdly he gets the ace thing."

Shit, he should not have said that.

"You know Reggie let me get sacked at practice last week?", Archie says casually.

"I'm going to assume that's important in sportsball.", he says with a laugh.

"A little bit.", Archie snickers. "I mean, I knew Reggie doesn't think I'm as good as Jason, but he cares about football. I thought it was weird."

"What you think I had something to do with it?"

Archie sighs, "Yeah. I do."

"Please, Reggie hates me, that one blowjob or not.", he's not actually sure if that's true but he'll go with it.

"I think... I think whatever I interrupted was not bullying. I think that was..."

"Fight Club?", Jughead says with a laugh.

Archie nods. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"It's complicated, ok?", he says finally and Archie nuzzles against him closer.

The silence is comfortable, as Jughead takes another swig from his beer.

"You said Reggie's good with it, was Jason not?", Archie says slowly.

"Can we ...not talk about Jason?", he whispers.

Archie tangles their fingers together, "If he hurt you... You can tell me, ok?"

He fixes his eyes on the ground, "I just really liked him...and I thought he liked me. I was wrong."

Archie pauses and tries to catch Jughead's eye. "I noticed you were pretty pissed about Grundy."

Jughead rolls his eyes, "Please, the music teacher being a fucking creep is obvious even without my terrible relationship choices."

His phone has rang at least four more times since they started drinking. "You should really check that.", Archie says quietly.

He sighs. But he flips his phone over and keys in the code.

No text messages but one voicemail. 

He can hear a party in the background. And then Reggie starts talking in very slurred voice, "I don't know when everyone started drooling over Andrews' ginger dick but it's pretty obvious you're crazy about him. And he's an idiot if he had you and let you get away." There's a pause and then Reggie continues, "I think I'm in love with you and I'm scared shitless."

"Fuck.", Jughead breathes.

"Jug?"

"I need to make a phone call."

Reggie doesn't pick up. So he leaves a voicemail, "I know we don't talk about Fight Club but I think we need to."

***

Reggie is actively avoiding him.

Which would have been a blessing a year ago.

But he hadn't realized the extent to which Fight Club was keeping him sane until he stops hearing from Reggie. That was of course one of the rules - Jughead always won but Reggie always instigated, always initiated. Which sounds more or less like his other failed attempts at relationships.

Oh shit.

***

They're all in the student lounge when the football crew comes in. Jughead is in the process of liberating some chips and talking to Archie about their mutual history class.

"Man, Jughead's got a type." And he tenses as Archie looks over at him.

"Has he put out for you, Andrews? Jason said..."

Jughead sees red as he spins around. He's already moving towards the speaker when Reggie intervenes, "Shut up, Matt."

"What, is he that good in bed?"

Jughead is seething with barely contained rage, Archie's hand on his shoulder, when Reggie turns and faces the football player, "Did I fucking stutter?"

"Dude, since when do you care?"

"You're one more detention from being suspended.", Reggie snaps, "We're already suffering without Jason."

The guy huffs but mimes a blowjob as he elbows past him.

He looks up as Reggie slips past him but his smile flickers away when Reggie won't look at him

***

He's on his third milkshake and it's 12:30 am when his phone vibrates.

_You're right._ It's from Reggie.

And then barely a half second later his phone vibrates again. _Meet me?_

_Yeah yeah. Park?_

He's on his way out of Pops when he hears the honk of a horn, "Yo, Interview With A Vampire!"

He pauses, "For someone who mocks me mercilessly, you've seen a lot of movies that make you think of me."

Reggie rolls his eyes, "Get in?"

This is new, they've never actually interacted in public like this before.

"I didn't know you were in to rough trade.", Jughead cracks as he slides into the passenger seat. 

"I'm pretty sure you'd be the world's worst hooker", Reggie snarks back.

Jughead laughs, and flashes a crooked grin, "Well, you keep coming back."

Reggie tenses, fingers white knuckles on the steering wheel. "Would you prefer I leave cash next time?"

Jughead sighs, obviously dancing around the subject wasn't helping so he cuts to the chase, "You said you loved me."

"I was drunk."

"You've been avoiding me."

"We have no friends in common."

Jughead sighs, "What do you get out of this? Why let the school freak beat you up?"

Reggie pulls over finally and sighs. He opens and closes his mouth several times before he said, "Burn off stress."

"Isn't that what football is for?"

"It's different.", Reggie says finally.

"Dude I did not sign on for any weird kink thing."

"What do you get out of it?", Reggie fires back.

Jughead sighs, "After Jason, I was just numb. You offered an arrangement I needed."

"So this is just an arrangement?"

Jughead sighs, "I mean, yes? All relationship are arrangements."

Reggie nods sharply, "Ok, glad we've got that clarified."

Fuck.

"Reggie. I'm going to kiss you. Say no if you don't want me to."

Reggie just nods. He doesn't move to touch him at all and Jughead slides his hand through Reggie's hair and down until his hand is resting on the back of Reggie's neck, and then he presses his lips against Reggie's. Reggie's lips part and Jughead hasn't kissed someone like this since Jason. And he is not going to think about Jason right now.

He pulls back. "I'm willing to get you off, sometimes. Previous rules about not touching me still apply. If that's a deal breaker, I'd rather know now."

Reggie nods, "Got it."

"We're not boyfriends. You can fuck whoever you want.", he says sharply.

"And if I don't want to?", Reggie asks quietly, yanking his hand back seconds before he wraps his hand around Jughead's wrist.

"Then don't.", Jughead says with a shrug.

Reggie looks away.

"Fuck, what do you want me to say?", Jughead says sharply.

"I love you.", Reggie says quietly.

Jughead winces, "I'm sorry, I can't."

Reggie nods sharply, "Archie?"

He sighs, leaning his head back against the seat. "Yeah.", he admits.

"So...?"

"What I said still stands.", Jughead says finally. 

He can do this. He can put Jason and Archie behind him.


End file.
